With three of nine precincts reporting, it appears if Bruno Sabatier and Russell Perdock will be named to the Clearlake City Council.
At press time, 553 votes had been counted in Sabatier”s favor, while Perdock claimed 442 votes. The remainder of the field is currently lagging behind, with Joey Luiz in range at 392. In terms of percentage points, the race stood at Sabatier with 25.2 percent, Perdock with 20.1 percent and Luiz at 17.8 percent as of 11 p.m. on Tuesday.
Clearlake is typically able to confirm results within two to six days, as mail in and absentee ballots are counted.
Luiz, the incumbent, was the youngest representative elected in Clearlake history. He was 28 at the time. Sabatier, a data programmer, ran on a platform strong on crime and building the city”s appearance. Now an insurance agent in town, Perdock was a peace officer for 24 years and is currently the director of the Lake County Fire Protection District.
Quincy Jackson made public safety and improving services the cornerstones of his campaign. Michael Walton, retired, spoke of the necessity of paving all Clearlake streets.
At press time, Jackson, Walton, Andre Williams and Michael Pesonen were at least 5 percentage points in arrears.
Neither Williams nor Pesonen took advantage of the county”s voting guide, where candidates are allowed to state their case to voters without charge. Still, Williams had managed to sway 15.4 percent of voters, or 338 — just over 50 behind the incumbent.
The race was a crowded one. Yet when offered opportunities, such as the forum at Yuba College campus in Clearlake, only three of the candidates availed themselves of the opportunity to speak to the crowd and answer questions.
Clearlake is typically able to confirm results within two to six days, as mail in and absentee ballots are counted.
Yet name recognition in a campaign still helps. Pesonen had taken only 154 votes at press time. Walton stood at 123, or 5.6 percent as the paper went to press.
Still, only one third of Clearlake”s precincts had been counted by 11 p.m., as the ballots arrived later than anticipated at the Lake County Courthouse in Lakeport.
The preliminary tally will be available by morning, with all precincts accounted for. Complete results, as stated, will be available later in the week.
